>> this live from berlin. tonight, doctors tell us the coronavirus does not discriminate, but patients tell a different story. in the u.k., with the highest pandemic death toll in europe, ethnic minorities have a higher chance of catching the virus and dying from it. we have a look at an island of inequality. coming up, a global mental health crisis -- the united nations warns millions of people surrounded by death and disease and forced into isolation and

poverty all because of the pandemic are suffering severe mental stress. and the italian government invites migrants to help harvest fruits and vegetables. some voters do not like it, but farmers warned their crops are in danger of rotting in the fields without the migrants. i'm brent goff. to our viewers on pbs, in the united states, and around the world, welcome. the coronavirus is no equal opportunity pathogen. in the u.k., more than 30,000 people have died from covid-19 since the pandemic began and a disproportionate number of them are from ethnic minorities. for example, analysis from the u.k. office of national statistics reveals black people in the u.k. are four times as likely to die from the disease as white people.

we have this reportrt n from london. >> this doctor has had enough, which is whyhy she came t to dog street t to protest. even though she is six months pregnant, she had to fight for protective gear in the hospital because therere just wasn't enoughgh. >> i'm here todayor all the doctors, nurses, and health care workers who lost their lives tragically and senselessly to covid. >> more than 200 health-care workers have died in britain so far, two thirds of them were ethnic minorities. here in the united kingdom, data has shown the virus does indeed discriminate, even though everyone has access to free health care. experts are unsure about the reasons, but say they vary from overcrowded housing to print -- pre-existing medical conditions. what is clear is that covid-19 reveals long-standing existing inequalities in british society.

which rings true in this multiethnic neighborhood of brixton, one of the covid hotspots in the capital. like patients in hospitals across the country -- black patients in hospitals or four times more likely to die than white ones. most people are aware and have changed their behavior. >> i don't go out much. most of the time, i go to get essentials. >> it's something that's killing everybody and i need to keep myself and my family safe. i'm not focused on the fact that it is black that are dying. >> god is protecting me. >> medics and experts have not figured out why minorities in the u.k. are so disproportionately affected by covid-19. the government launched an inquiry last month and there has been discussion of shielding minorities from front-line jobs, and unrealistic approach, some

say, given n economic prioritie. >> there are limited social protections for workers of these kind and it is all very wewell o say needed to stay away from otr people as far asossible, but if it is a choice between that and earning a a living and l log after your families, some people will be presented with a dilemma. >> back at downing streeeet, the doctor hopes to encourage others to speak up to prevent more deaths of ethnic minority patients and her colleagues. brent: joining me now from birmingham, england is nicole andrews, a lecturer and -- in health and social care, focusing on disparirities i pubublic hea. goodod to have you on ththe pro. we understand health workers in the u.k. have been particularly hard-hit by this pandemic. why is that? it''s not jujust bececause theye

on the froront line, rigight? guest: definitely. this panandemic h has thrown opn the dynamimic of race anand ethc -- eththnici in ththe u.k. and provideded something to i i had- twoo analyze and identntify the structural i inequality ththat pervrvades britishsh society. i thinknk if we are l lookingnge rates o of black and m mority ethnic people who work in ththe front lineses, with nhs and socl care, as an employer, t the nhss the l largest empmployer of miny ethnic people in the u.k.. sosof we look k at the figurure, it's not necessarily surprisisig to s see we are overrepresentedn the figures r regarding foror tallies due to covid. brent: we heard about proposals to get minorities out of front-line jobs that are highly dangerous in this pandemiccbut is that even p possible? guest: i thinknk it is a

platititude, really. i i think it's one t thing for e governmentnt to identify and acacowledge ththat there is a disparity in deathshs due to covid,d, but the suguggestion yu cacan shld front-line e workers who are frfrom certain backgkgrs from work is not really feasible.. the reity is s ch of thee work that's done i in nhs is done by minority ethnic employs s and ere'a long history of nonority enic c emplees anand the nhs to remove them fr front-line work would not be pracactical for thehe health cae system, , the soci c care syste, and it is not initially practical. brent: at the beginning of the program, i said this new coronavirus is not an equal opportunity pathogen. is it exacerbating the widening gap we are seeeeing between the rich a and poor in the u.k.? guesest: most t definitely.. to talk abouout t this conditio,

this virus as an equalizer afaffecting evyoyone equally completely disregards the situation. whilste mimight all be a at risk ofof p picking up covid, th risk for r some is greaeater than ot. for instance, those who are working in these key worker roles, bus drivers, workers for nhs,s, d driving taxis, workikin nurseries, working with vulnlnerable peoeoe are at anan increasese risk of pickingng up covid and if we look at ththe people who often do these jobs,, they are often peoeople from blk anddinoritieies, ethnicic backgrgrounds. when we start to understandd t e stratitification's of socty,, these jobs which are o often not as well p paid, but not necessarily not skilled,d, but t is verery skikilled to o be a ao lookok after somee off the vulnerable people in our society, but t they are low-w-p. brent: prime minister boris johnson almost died from

covid-19. do you expect because of that experience that we are going to see more attention on funding public services and fundingng te national health seicice? guest:t: i personally w would be quite d doubtful of that. i t think the nature of the society we e live in is verery h gegeared toward thee p privatizn of the natational healtlth serv, which doesn't t necessarily y mn there wiwill beeeen -- there wle a pumping enenough public money. but the situationn h have -- of covivid has laid the situatition bear foror the countryry and the prprimministerer to see thahat e has s to ba recognitio thathe wealth and the heaealth of the cocountry can o only be judged y w w well the healtlt care stem can respond to the needs off its cicitizens and must be funded ia way for its cititizens to be a e to stay well and contribute sosociety. ifif health and health inequaliy shapes the society, how welll cn

the society really be? brent: nicole andrerews, coioing us from birmimingham, englaland. we apprereciate your time and insights. thank you. guest: thank you. brent: let's have a look at the latest element in the coronavirus pandemic. johns hopkins university in the u.s. says that global death toll has reached re-hundred thousand. there are more than 4.4 million confirmed cases around the world. the european union medicines agency says a vaccine could be ready within a year in an optimistic scenario. russia now has more than 250,000 confirmed cases and has seen a dramatic spike in infections in the last month russia now has the second-highest number of cases after the u.s. japan is lifting its coronavirus state of emergency ahead of schedule. in most of the country, that is. a decision about the other areas is expected next week.

the united nations is warning of a mobile mental health crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. the u.n. secretary general says that governments and health authorities need to act quickly to manage the psychological suffering of millions of people in lockdown. the unemployed or working on the front lines, working on the front lines of a medical emergency. >> she has been fighting coronavirus on the front lines in albania for more than two months. at anna norma's persononal sacrifice. > i have a 15 month old daughter. i also have a 10-year-old son

and i have parents who could be at risk because they also have other health issues and that scared me. >> at this washington dc food bank, the hardship is economic. with millions laid off and school meals gone with the lessons, families are struggling to cope with the mental stress wrought on by hunger. >> right now, i'm struggling and i don't have any food stamps left until the end of the month, so every little bit helps to keep the house going steady. >> now, the united nations is urging governments to be proactive. the c covid-19 pandedemic is aft families with adddditional mentl stress. those most at ririsk are front-line workers, ololder pepeople, those with pre-existig memental health conditions, and those caughtht up in conflilictd crisis. we must help them and s stand by

them.. >> psychologis in the u.k. are tryiying to h help. theyey're creatating a numbmberf cartoons to help families manage the additional strain of lockdown. >> allll the early signs, a lotf families are struggling and that is not a surprise when you think about it. >> members of this supupport grp for people suffering or by pulling -- or bipolar, usually meet at this age but social distancing rules have forced them online. >> it actually put some perspective on your own life and i think perspective is really important. certainly in these times now. >> and it is a fresh outlook that international bodies are making sureeople are n not struggling with mental health problems. brent: for more, i'm joined by the director of the world health

organization cost mental h healh and substance abuse division. dr., it is good to have you on the program. let's talk about this coronavirus. first, it attacks our physical health. second, it hits ourur until well-being. this second threat, is it going to impmpact us the longest? guest: think you for having me, first of all. i dodon't know i it is thehe longest becausese we don't know how long the consequences inin r bodies of covid are really. or how long they will last. but we definitely know the mental healthh impact, ththe psychosocial impact will be lasting for a long while. it is in parallel to the covid becaususe we don't necessarilily need to have the disease to

begin with the mental health issues. and it will last long, for sure. brent: beforore this pandemic h, mental healtlth servivices were often underfunded all over the world compared to helelp servics for people's physical health. what with the who like to see happenen now? countries are spending billilios and billions s to bail out their economies stop what about spendingng money to bailil out r mental health? guest: currently, not in thehe past, but today, 2 2% of the health budget, government health edging goes to mentatal heaealt. only 2%.%. we hope thahat by realizingg the impactct this crisis is having d is going to have in mental health, when investing i in the countries will also increase the

capacity of countries to respond to those in need because when you hear mounting news and you have been talking with some a from birmingham, thehere a a nunumber of seservices that can provide some supportrt, psychological support for example to those health workers and thats so much u under stress right now.w. but we know this is not the case evererywhere. even wororse, and most of the countries, this is not the case, that therere is no capacity to respond to the situationon toda. let alone what i is comoming. brent: i want to ask -- you were mentioning birmingham, england and i was asking my guest about the prime minister about this prime minister, boris johnson. he almost died from covid-19 and i i her that shehe think this wl give him an epiphany moment that

he will want to increase support for the national health service and she doubts that will happen. what do you think has to happen for governments and our leaders toto realize how important mentl healalth funding r really isis? gugut: i think they should hear the evidence beyond the personal epiphanies. i think government a and governrnmental o officials shohd hear the evidencnce and should e concerned about the pacitti, the population in e each one of the countries will have two deal with what is coming. we know on onone hand, the suffering of each individual, but on the other hand, is the capacity for those individuals to contribute protectively -- productively to the society and economy. it is in a way an investment that will have a very high

return in n the long run and in not too long a way run. brent: the who has warned the worlrld that the coronavirirus y never go away. it may become endemic to o our world. what long-term consequences should we be repairing for if that is the cacase? guest: if we talkk from the mental health and psychosocial perspective, i would say we will need to adapt to a new living condition. we will have to be aware of some ways of communicating with each other that will be different, working in context of being togetherer in a different way. we will l have to adapapt to the new ways of living. i trust most of us human beings

will be capable of adapting because we have that virtue, that capacity of adaptation to new challenges. some will struggle to those challenges. brent: let's s hope everyone has the optimism t that you have, d. thank you. we appreciate your insights. here's a looook now at soso of e other stories making heaeadlines around the world. five peoeople have died in a trk bobomb attack in afghanistan. the vehicle blew up near a military court in the eastern city of guard as, wounding at least 20 others. taliban insurgents have claimed responsibility. the swearing in of israel's new unity government has been delayed until sunday. prime minister benjaminn netanyahu asked his former rival and new coalition partner for the three day delay.

mr. netanyahu says he needs more time to finalize cabinet appointments from within his own likud party. containing the pandemic has required a global effort, but long-standing allies still face chronic divisions over issues such as collective defense. in a commentary for the german daily newspaper, the u.s. ambassador to germany and director of national -- national intelligence says berlin is undermining nato's mission of nuclear containment. this comes after plans to buy u.s. f-18 fighter jetets met resistance from within angela merkel's own government. planes are capable of launching nuclear warheads. germany has repeatedly said it intends to play a larger role in nato, but decisions on how the country should approach its own defense capabilities are often hampered by political infighting. our chief political editor

reports. >> this is what germany wants to avoid -- america's drone war went from being considered rated a violation to washington's combat method of choice. this example has sparked concern among the public that arming german drones could see berlin on the wrong side of history, a driving force toward automated machine warfare. >> the other fact other countries have it is not a good argument to say we needed also. the tendency toward automated warfare, which means automated killing offers a depressing outlook. >> german defense minister once the arm drone, just one item on a long list of unresolved strategic purchase decisions inherited from her predecessor. despite corona, the defense ministry launched a webcast public debate on the matter. when the -- one opposition mp

summed up the last 10 years of argument. let me sasay it bluntly -- at some point, everyone here has to bear all and say what they want and what they don't want. >> germany's military also wants to make another contentious purchase -- u.s.-built fa for teen fighter jets that would ensure germany would remain able to deliver its part to the u.s. led nuclear deterrent. currently, the united states has stationed nuclear weapons and five european countries. a small town in germany along with the netherlands, elgin, italy, and turkey. u.k. and france have their own nuclear warheads. in a war scenario, germany would have to use its ailing elite of tornado fighter jets to deliver them, but those are running out of spare parts fast. the governing coalition partner,

the social democrats, have announced resistance to that replacement. it wants a more passive role in nato. >> i don't think there's anything wrong with having that debate. i think it is an important question of democracy. cracks military experts see this latest route -- latest row over defense see it as an attack on german c credibility from wiwit. >> i thinkhahat potition is increasinglyly untenable and the rest of the world does not do us that favor. >> while germany looked set to it expand in crisis regions like molly, even within its own government, any issue to do with defense remains a political minefield. brent: italy has announced it will grant six-month residency permits to thousands of irregular migrants. the government in rome is trying to help farms and farmers deal

with the covid-19 epidemic that has cut the flow of cheap labor from abroad. the politically sensitive move was prompted by the country's agricultural lobby, which was warning italy might otherwise have to dispose of huge amounts of produce, food that would rot in the fields. so who does this change affect question mark i guess it is the farmers? guest: it affects many people because at the moment there are around 200 seasonal workers mainly from eastern europe who are not able to travel to italy because of restrictions and what this measure will do will essentially make around half a million irregular migrants in italy legal. we are talking about people who would be able to legally work in the agricultural and domestic services.

because they are legal, they would be able to access a sick health services and it would improve their quality of life because there is such a crisis with covid-19, if they are actually legal, it would mean testing would be able to take place and, if they get ill, they can get the proper treatment. it is a human rights issue. brent: these initial permits will be valid for six months. what happens after that? guest: once you have the first six months, you can get another extension. if you extend for 12 months, you can get a longer permit. the idea is for this not to be a temporary measure but a medium to long-term solution. brent: we know that migration is a politically sensitive topic in europe, especially italy. how is this being received with voters? guest: it is a sensitive topic and it has been a very sensitive topic in this government.

but before we get on to that, what was interesting was the agricultural minister who herself was a farmworker and labor union representative was adamant to get this pushed through and said she would have resigned if it had not been pushed through. let's hear from her because it was pretty passionate. >> all those that have and brutally exploited in the fields , and also in fake cooperatives where people were sent to work with families as caregivers or cleaning ladies will not be invisible anymore. they will have access to a work permit and we will help them to reclaim their identity and dignity. guest: there identity and dignity -- very passionate words and it has caused a lot of

division in italy, but i'm sure it's going to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. brent: and you can imagine harvests rotting in the field. that would be crazy. thank you very much. health-care workers and others are suffering severe stress from their work fighting covid-19. one hospital in mexico has taken on a new employee whose mission is to help relieve that stress. >> preparing for work on the front lines. during a pandemic, you can never be too careful. meet holly, the three-year-old pug who works two hours a day at a mexican hospital to help raise the spirits among health care workers. >> some colleagues want to play with him right away. we have to consider the long-lasting deprivatition of physical conontact. it i is significant, especiallyy for staff on the front lines who

have even segregated themselves from their own families to avoid the possibility of infection. >> heart owner says she is surprised by the smiles that have been brought from healthth-care workers t treating patients w with covid-19. >> he has been an important buffer against all k kinds of stress, psychological, mental, and emotional, that we as health professionals experience on a dadaily basis. >> during the long, grueling days of work any coronavirus sesection of this hospital, hops are high that the dog can bring some positivity. brent: after a short break, ii will be back to take you through "the day."

last all the time the best day he got the day at two k. health giant sanofi is forced to backtrack. offers seo said certain countrtries will be prioritized for any code nineteen backs in. france is angry that a company which the french buffet for the uniteded statess for a drug that should be available glglobally. rotavirus could well be here to stay the importance of finding a vaccine soon has been on the line by this latest announcement from the world health organization. . the head of the w world trade orgrganizan is stepping dowown for perersonl reasasons they give a voice to.